Home > Coatings > Why Investing in a Hot Melt Roller Coater Machine May Be Unwise

hot melt roller coater machineWe’re not going to make assumptions about why you might search for a hot melt roller coater machine—there are a variety of products manufactured with this machine, after all. But one thing is for certain: if you’re using this type of equipment, you probably aren’t making one product. Roll to roll manufacturing is usually utilized to deliver larger orders for business owners. While you may think that it’s simple enough to invest in a machine and begin working on your own orders, this isn’t necessarily the case.

In fact, there is much more to working with a hot melt roller coater machine than what initially meets the eye. This is why it’s becoming increasingly common for business owners (of small and large companies alike) to invest in third party manufacturing rather than their own equipment. You may be on the verge of buying a machine right now—and we’re going to say “wait a moment”. Because once you know more about what really goes into not only hot melt roll coating but roll to roll manufacturing in general, you’ll likely find that it’s much easier to simply work with a third party manufacturer.

How Does A Hot Melt Roller Coater Machine Work?

Firstly, let’s examine how a hot melt roller coater machine works. The point of a roll coating machine in general is fairly simple. It’s meant to simplify the process through which we apply adhesives to substrate services. The mission of the equipment is to make this process not only quick and efficient, but accurate and even. It’s not enough for an adhesive to apply to a substrate—it must also apply in a manner that is identical to the product following. If you’re placing an order for a certain amount of products, you’ll want those products to be as identical to each other as possible.

We can modify roller coaters to reflect the specific needs of a project. If the coater needs to cover a smaller expanse, or create a certain textured surface, it’s possible to create a more customized application. However, it’s incredibly important to understand that this is a precise process. All too often, small business owners order their own machines online and attempt to apply adhesives without precision. This results in a failed product—and often a failed product run. Therefore, it often makes more sense for business owners to work with third party manufacturing companies.

How Does Third Party Manufacturing Work?

Third party manufacturing typically works in one of two ways, though alternative options are sometimes available. In a standard third party manufacturing agreement, however, the business owner will work with either a contract manufacturer or a toll manufacturer. The main difference between a contract manufacturer and a toll manufacturer lies in the amount of control you’ll have over production.

A contract manufacturer will follow the agreement you made with control from beginning to end. The manufacturer selects the raw materials and processes them through their own facilities. A toll manufacturer, in contrast, has more flexibility. Through this flexibility, you may supply the toll manufacturer with the raw materials, after which they will process them in their facilities. This control allows you to not only choose the quality of the materials, but their cost as well.

Why Work with A Third Party Manufacturer?

So, why is it common for business owners to work with a third party manufacturer rather than purchasing a hot melt roller coater machine? There are several benefits.

1. Quality Control

Quite simply, it’s often easier for professional third party manufacturers to control the quality of the product they deliver. This is because they have more experience not only with production—with experienced employees that know how to operate advanced coating technologies—but with working alongside clients as well. A third party manufacturer may know more about how to translate your vision into reality than you do. You’ll have the final product you want from the beginning, rather than having to experiment with trial and error.

2. Cost Efficiency

As previously mentioned, it’s all too common for business owners to make mistakes when working with new equipment for the first time. These mistakes are understandable, but they still result in time and money lost. Simply investing in a hot melt roller coater machine outright is a big commitment, not to mention the raw materials necessary. When you work with CTI, you don’t have to invest in equipment or permanent employees in order to have your product delivered.

3. Speed

Most business owners don’t have the time to not only buy equipment, but train themselves or employees to utilize that equipment. Hiring employees familiar with the equipment is also time consuming. In the world of manufacturing, time is money, and you can lose momentum and opportunity if you spend too much time attempting to establish in-house manufacturing. With that being said, it’s generally recommended that newer business owners start out with third party manufacturing.

While there is no rule that says you must choose third party manufacturing over manufacturing in house, it’s easy to see why this process is so often recommended. We recommend scheduling a consultation with CTI before making a commitment—we’ll happily walk you through the process to ensure that you know exactly what you’re getting into. An informed decision is more likely to be the right decision. Give us a call at 419-924-5566 for more information or contact us here. We’d love to help you decide which approach is right for you.